Our Memories
by BonesBird
Summary: For a school project Jack is asked to talk about his parents. He asks Hotch about Haley. Skipping about 5 years I think.


**Title: Memories  
****Author: BonesBird  
****Summary: For a school project Jack is asked to talk about his parents. He asks Hotch about Haley. Skipping about 5 years I think.  
****Disclaimer: If I owned them I wouldn't be writing FanFic would I?  
****Lyrics: When I Die - New Found Glory**

**I don't really know where this fic came from. I was finishing my last Hotch/Haley fic and it popped into my head, pretty much already written. To this song too. So if the song doesn't make sense to you I'm sorry. But this is how I feel about the people in my life I loved. **

**_

* * *

_**_Now I have finally accepted__  
__We will never stand in the same room_

Jack held the assignment in his hands. He normally liked writing for his English class, but he wasn't sure how to write this one. The paper was on his family. He could write about his Dad easy, his dad was a real life superhero, nobody beat his Daddy, his Aunty Jessica was always there when he needed her, and his other family, the family that weren't related to him, he could write about. But he didn't remember much about his mom.

_I can never hear your voice of reason  
__At least you didn't, didn't feel thing_

He had been 4 when there had been a bad man from his Daddy's work who had found them. He didn't remember very much, but even though he'd only been four he remembered the last hug his mom gave him. He remembered being very sad. He still watched the videos of his mom whenever he wanted to. His Daddy had kept them for him.

_When I was younger you would tell me  
__That I should wait to grow up_

He couldn't remember much else about his mom. As his Dad picked him up from school he was quiet. Thinking about how to ask his Dad what he wanted to know for his paper. He wasn't listening as he mumbled through a conversation (on the drive?) home.

_That things don't go always as planned  
__At least you didn't, didn't feel a thing_

Over dinner Hotch realised something was playing on his son's mind. Jack had seemed distant when he'd picked him up for school. Hotch wondered if maybe he was having trouble with bullies, or if his grades were slipping. He didn't often get time to sit and have a meal with his son. Often they only spoke on the phone because of Hotch's work commitments.

_No you didn't, didn't have to feel a thing  
__No you didn't feel_

"Jack, what's the matter?" he asked, putting his knife and fork down

"Nothing Dad" Jack replied, sounding despondent,

"Come on buddy, I know when something is bugging you" he said, trying to coax the information out of his son with gentle persuading

"I have to write this paper for school, and I need to write about my family" he said, then stopped

"Go on?" Hotch prodded, moving over and kneeling next to his son

"I don't know what to write about mommy" he whispered back.

"Finish eating, then we'll have a big talk about your mom, and you can ask me anything" Hotch smiled, getting up to finish his food

_When I die I'll be fine  
__Coz I know you're always there_

After they finished Hotch cleared a space in the family room and pulled a few boxes out of a standing cupboard in the corner, he sat in the middle of the carpet, with Jack alongside him. The first thing he pulled out of the box was a pirate hat, which he place on Jack's head.

"Shall I start at the beginning?" He asked, smiling as his son nodded

_When I die I'm alright  
__Coz I know you're always there  
__You are home_

"I met your mom when we were in high school. She was the prettiest girl there, and I fell in love with her right away. We were in a play together, the Pirates of Penzance, and I wore that hat." he smiled, pulling out his copy of the play. He and Haley had signed each others copies, He pointed to the signature on his copy,

"Your mom wrote this the day it ended. It says 'I'm so glad we did this, I'm glad we met.' We were best friends, and we loved each other" Hotch said, giving Jack a squeeze as his own eyes filled up a little.

_Now I'm standing at a crossroad  
__Don't know which path is calling me_

"We dated through the end of high school, and all through college" he said, pulling out their yearbooks and showing Jack all the silly pictures he and Haley had taken. Telling Jack some silly vacation stories. Jack laughed at their hairstyles, and smiled when pictures with people he recognised in them started showing up.

_I wanna follow in your footsteps  
__So you know you're never alone_

"This was our wedding day. We had waited quite a long time before we actually got married. Because we wanted to know for certain we were right." Hotch held the album tightly to his chest before opening it for Jack. The two looked through the album together, laughing at the silly things that were in there.

_No you didn't, didn't have to feel a thing  
__No you're not alone_

"Daddy, why did you and Mommy get divorced if you loved her so much?" Jack asked, looking up at him and putting his hands on his leg. That was the killer question for Hotch, he let the tears he'd held back fall, and hugged his son tightly

"When you were a baby, your Mom needed more help, and I couldn't give it to her because of my job. I still loved your Mom, I'll always love your Mom, and you. Everything that went on then is something I really regret" Hotch said, holding Jack tighter,

_When I die I'll be fine  
__Coz I know you're always there_

"Dad, tell me about my Mom" Jack said, settling onto his knee and resting against his chest. Hotch leant against the base of the sofa while he thought about what to tell Jack about Haley.

"She loved you very much" he started, pulling Jack ever closer to him, holding him tightly against his chest and gently rocking "She always like to laugh. She would make me laugh all the time, just be teasing me. Being silly with me. When she had you she was the happiest she'd ever been"

_When I die I'm alright  
__Coz I know you're always there  
__You are home_

"Was she a good Mom, Dad?" he asked, stifling a yawn. Hotch's tears fell anew as he thought about everything Haley had done with Jack. He thought back to arguing over names with her. He thought back to all the trouble she'd had with her pregnancy, he thought of all the nights he'd wake up to find her asleep with Jack in the rocker chair that had been in their bedroom. He thought back to all the games he'd seen them play. All the hugs they'd shared. He thought back to her standing watching him play all sorts of games with Jack, and all the fun they'd had as a family. He thought back to the sacrifices she'd made to keep Jack safe, including the ultimate sacrifice, she'd given up her life to save the boy in his arms

_I'm still here but I'm waiting  
__For our long conversations_

"She was the best Mom, buddy." he squeezed his son before letting him go, he moved away and looked back, an innocent look on his face and tears in his eyes too

"Daddy, do you miss her?"

"Every day. Come on bub, PJs and bed, you're up really late" Hotch said, drying his eyes as Jack bounded up the stairs.

_I'm still here but I'm waiting  
__To go home_

The next night Hotch cleared away the boxes of Haley's things, ready for the next time he needed to be reminded of the man he needed to be with/FOR? Jack. The open, emotional man that his son needed to see, rather than the closed OFF? "Agent Hotchner" he was so much of the time. Jack was writing his piece on Haley at the table, but he didn't want Hotch/HIS DAD? to see it.

_When I die I'll be fine  
__Coz I know you're always there_

"My Mommy is in heaven. She was killed when I was 4 by a bad guy my Daddy was searching for. I don't really remember her so much, because I was only 4. I remember giving her a hug because my Dad asked me to. I had to go and work the case, so I went to hide. I asked my Daddy about her, because I only knew what I had in the videos we made. Her name was Haley Hotchner. She loved me and my Daddy lots. She was my Daddy's best friend since they were in school. My Dad still loves my mom now. He says he always will"

_When I die I'm alright  
__Coz I know you're always there  
__You are home  
__You are home_

Hotch read his sons words about his mom after he had sent him to bed. He sat on the sofa, holding a picture of Haley while he read the words his son had written. His tears poured down his cheeks as he thought back. Two nights of intense emotion had pushed his boundaries over. He knew he'd visit Haley the next day. Jack was right. He would love Haley to the very end. That was the power of love.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this. A few days before my next input. I need to get more writing done.**


End file.
